


Heart Skipping Beats

by Naomida



Series: Goddess and the Hipster [1]
Category: Fantastic Four, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Amazing Spider-Man (Movies - Webb)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Female Johnny Storm, Gen, Genderbending, Peter is a hipster, and a fanboy, and her name is June, cause she roxx, the world need more female!Johnny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-02-03 00:31:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1724555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naomida/pseuds/Naomida
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not a secret that both Storm sisters are incredibly beautiful and while Sue is one of the most gorgeous woman in the world in real life, June is... well she's a goddess and Peter Parker can't take his eyes off of her.</p><p>He may or may not be in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart Skipping Beats

**Author's Note:**

> I had a conversation with a friend about the female equivalent of the name Johnny and she told me it probably was Jane but I think the name doesn't fit the character and June is kind of the perfect name for this Storm sibling so here, have some June !  
> And picture Peter as Andrew Garfield !

It's not a secret that both Storm sisters are incredibly beautiful and while Sue is one of the most gorgeous woman in the world in real life, June is... well she's a goddess and Peter Parker can't take his eyes off of her.

He is at the press conference about the last robbery the Fantastic Four stopped because Henry, the guy who always take pictures at these kind of things, is sick and Peter is desperate enough that he said yes to go to this boring event. He needs the money and doesn't regret it at all when he sees June.

She looks as bored as him and keeps on looking at her shoes, the ceiling and all the journalists squeezed like sardines in front of her, holding microphones and cameras at Reed Richards' face who describes what happened during the robbery with professionalism, using a lot of details that Peter can't even be bothered to listen to.

Then their eyes meet for a whole second and Peter's heart does a back-flip in his chest while missing a beat and he's pretty sure is face is red and his hands are shaking but June doesn't seem to even see him as she continues to look at the journalists and other photographers' face, an uninterested pout on the lips.

He may or may not be in love.

 

 

***

 

 

The next time they meet, Peter is Spiderman, swinging through New York City after three assholes who thought that would be fun to steal a small plane and fly over the city to set things on fire. He sees her from the corner of his eyes, bright orange, looking like the sun and sending him a “Hey pal!” when she flies next to him.

Between the two of them, they stop the assholes easily and for once, Peter is not as hurried as he should be, knowing that police cars will arrive at any minutes.

“You're not bad” she tells him, out of breath, once he's finished webbing the pilot of the plane – just to be sure and not _at all_ to show off.

“Thanks, neither are you.” he replies, glad that his mask is hiding his flaming cheeks – which is ridiculous because _she_ is the one supposed to be on fire damn it, Peter!

“I hope I'll see more of you Webhead!” she screams when he shoots a web at the nearest building and start to swing away.

He smiles even if she can't see it and does a quick military salute before disappearing, heart pounding wildly.

 

 

***

 

 

“Will you show me your face one day or are you that ugly?” she asks him, eyes turned to the water.

Peter shrugs, the movement making their shoulders brush.

They are both sitting at the top of the Statue of Liberty after a long fight against Doom – who once again was defeated, it's almost sad to see him being such a loser yet trying again and again to kill them – and Peter doesn't feel like going back home. Aunt May is working all night and the tiny house feels suffocating and cold when he's alone.

He also doesn't want to part with June who is sitting near enough that she keeps him warm and he can smell her expensive perfume mixed with the distinct smell of burn that always accompanies her.

“Maybe I'm just afraid you won't be able to bear my handsomeness and it'll kill you to see my face cause I'm so flawless...”

She snickers and elbows him in the ribs.

“Right, whatever you say Spidey.”

June doesn't add anything, which is weird, and Peter knows her enough to see when something is wrong so he tentatively puts a hand on her shoulder and leans forward until he can catch her eyes through the mask.

“You okay?” he asks in a soft voice.

She merely nods before pressing against Peter and putting her head on his shoulder, sighing.

“It's just... I'm so tired of life, you know?”

He does, but she is too close for him to form any coherent word so he just wraps an arm around her shoulders and prays that she can't hear his heart trying to get out of his chest.

“I don't regret becoming a super-heroine but... I don't know, life was easier before, I guess. And living in the Baxter Building isn't really enjoyable currently.”

“Did something happen?”

“Nothing unusual. It's just that Reed is even more obsessed by science than before since we got our powers and even if Sue is used to it her patience is wearing thin. We keep fighting for the tiniest things and Ben, that fucking coward, spends all his time at Alicia's and leaves me alone to deal with it.”

“Well if that makes you feel better my girlfriend keeps giving me shit because I'm trying to save New York every time a psychotic tries to destroy it so...”

“Wait a minute!” exclaims June, straightening and turning to look at him “You have a girlfriend?”

Peter nods, suddenly feeling shy, and June smirks, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

“You, the guy in red spandex, have a girlfriend? And you never told me before because...?”

“Because I knew you'd look surprised like that and geez, thanks a lot.”

That makes her laugh and Peter can't help but smile at the sound.

“It's not that just... I don't know, with your whole secret identity thing I didn't think you'd have one. Or maybe I just can't imagine you out of the costume.”

She looks him up and down before meeting his eyes again, a smile on the corner of the mouth.

“Yeah well I have one and she's very cute, thank you very much.”

“I bet she is. But isn't it weird for her to make out with a giant spider? I mean, come on, I'm sure sometimes she thinks about it and starts to scream while her hand is down your pants.”

Peter pushes her off the edge and she flames on before even starting to free-fall from the Statue, floating in front of him with a big mocking grin on the face.

“So she does huh?”

“I hate you June Storm.” he replies, feeling warmth curling at the pit of his stomach when she laughs.

 

 

***

 

 

The first time Peter's heart stops beating in June's presence is during a fight against a maniac who created his own (bad) replica of Stark's armor. The guy is firing at everything and anything while chasing June in the air when he finally manages to grab her ankle and instead of firing bullets, he unleashes a wall of smoke on her before laughing out loud and flying toward The Thing.

Peter doesn't hesitate to jump into the smoke when he realizes that it is dinitrogen.

This is not the best idea he ever had but June was flying high when the guy gased her and he knows that falling from this height, she wouldn't survive so he ignores the panic in his throat and his heart that stopped beating for a very long second and jumps, hoping to be fast enough.

 

Thank God, he is.

 

He manages to catch June's free-falling body and she clings to him, eyes wide open meeting his as she tries to breath despite the smoke around them. He shoots a web to the closest building he can find and lands on its roof, gently easing June down until she is standing on her foot, not letting him go.

“Are you okay?” he asks, voice high-pitched with panic. “Can you breath?”

She shakes her head, a hand on her chest as if it could help her inhaling air, and drops to her knees.

Peter doesn't hesitate one second to kneel next to her as she goes limp and lays down, her eyes never leaving his, and rolls his mask up to his nose.

“I'm gonna give you mouth-to-mouth, okay?”

She weakly nods, turning blue as the seconds pass, and Peter takes the biggest gulp of air he can before putting his lips on June's open mouth and breathing air into it. It's messy, his heart is beating hard enough that he feels dizzy and it takes him three tries before finally making it work.

By the time she finally breaths by herself, June has tears in her eyes and Peter's hands are trembling from panic – and something else that he chooses to ignore because mouth-to-mouth is as close to kissing as giving a foot massage.

“Jesus,” she breaths “you really do have a human face under that mask”. Her smile is a little wavering but it eases the knot in Peter's chest and he smiles back at her, not resisting the impulse to caress her cheek.

“I do and I totally told you that I'm handsome.”

“Yeah” she exhales before bringing her hands up to cup his jaw. “But I still don't know your eye and hair color.”

“Maybe I'll show you next time you almost die in my arms.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

She is staring at his mouth and Peter can't help himself : he leans forward, his hand sliding down her cheek to her neck so he can feel her pulse under his palm, shivering just at the thought of kissing her for real.

“Tell me your real name” she murmurs, gaze flickering up to look him in the eyes before staring at his lips again. “Please, I want to know it.”

In the back of his mind an alarm goes off and a voice starts to yell at him. He has a girlfriend and he can't blow his super secret identity up like that, but June's blue eyes are shining and _so_ clear, he can't think past 'oh shit she almost died and now she's touching my face and I love her _so much_ , I _need_ to kiss her'.

Ben's drawling voice stops him from doing something he will probably regret – and surely adore.

“You okay up there?” he shouts from somewhere twelve floors down.

“Yeah, I think.” Peter shouts back, not turning his head in fear that June will let go of him. “You are, right ?” he asks June who nods.

“I will be if you don't tell Sue I almost suffocated to death.”

“Only if you don't almost suffocate to death ever again.”

“Deal” she smiles.

They spend another ten seconds without moving, just holding onto the other with June rubbing her thumbs against his jaw and chin, before the voice in Peter's head finally becomes too loud and he takes his hand away, sighing.

“Better go back down and see what the others are doing before they come up here.”

June acquiesces and he helps her up before rolling his mask back down, not meeting her eyes again.

 

 

***

 

 

Sometimes Gwen asks him about the Fantastic Four and he's always embarrassed and scared of rambling about June Storm, so he just shrugs and tells her that they are cool and funny.

“Come on Peter, be more precise. Like, is Mr. Fantastic really good-looking and brilliant in real life? And the Storm sisters, are they really that gorgeous? Did you ever touch The Thing? What did it feel like?”

“Good-looking I don't know but brilliant yes, and yes they are, and yes I did. It felt like touching a rock or a cliff.”

“A cliff?”

“Yup, like I don't know, The Rockies.”

“Have you ever seen The Rockies in your life?” she laughs.

“Nope. Never even left NYC.” he whispers against her lips before kissing her, liking the feeling of butterflies in the stomach it gives him.

Gwen giggles against his mouth and kisses back, dropping the subject.

 

 

***

 

 

Peter often imagined how he would finally reveal his identity to June – because he can't imagine himself not doing it at some point – and it was always something a little, well, special – almost romantic. He imagined it on top of the Empire State Building during fireworks on the Fourth of July. He imagined June's surprise as he would finally take the mask off. He imagined the line he was going to tell her. He imagined her jumping into his arms and hugging him.

He never imagined it at the feet of the Statue of Liberty during a storm with June biting her lower lip and pacing back and forth in front of him.

“I can't fucking believe she told me that!” she screams to be heard over the thunder. “I can't fucking believe she _blames me_ for everything in her life that doesn't go according to her stupid plans! Is it my fucking fault that her boyfriend is too busy being a nerd to fuck her? I don't think so and she's just fucking jealous of my sexlife.”

Peter opens his mouth to reply but she doesn't give him time to.

“I'm so tired of her trusting my bad press. She's supposed to be my fucking sister, what kind of sibling trust the paparazzi more than her sister?”

“Please June, calm down.”

“No I won't fucking calm down. I'm tired of her bullshit!”

Smoke is rising from the ground where she walks, a sign that if it were not raining she would probably be setting the whole island on fire, and Peter takes a step forward, standing in her way.

“June seriously, you need to calm down.”

“Go away!” she replies, trying to shove him, “why are you even here in the first place?”

“Reed called me.”

“Cause Reed has your fucking phone number now?”

“Actually it was on Skype but–”

“I don't fucking care” she cuts him, shoving him again to no avail. “I don't wanna see you, any of you, so go home and leave me the fuck alone!”

She still has her hands flat against his chest for trying to push him and he takes them in his, stepping forward.

“June please.”

“Leave. Me. Alone.” she says, eyes turning bright orange, and weirdly, Peter realizes that it probably is the best moment so he releases one of her hand and grabs his mask, taking it off without further ado, finally meeting June's gaze directly, like that first time during the press conference.

She looks so taken aback, her mouth falls open as she scrutinizes his face.

“My name is Peter Parker.” he simply says, suddenly feeling shy under her gaze.

“I can't believe it,” she whispers, probably more to herself than him, “you're not even half bad. You're even cute. Like really cute!”

That makes him blush and she smiles for the first time that night.

“Peter... I like that name. That's better than Francis or Eduardo.”

“You actually know someone named Eduardo?” he can't help to ask.

“Yep, and he's a pain in the ass.”

Her eyes stop on his mouth for a second when he smiles, making his blush worse, before she looks at his hair and reaches with her free hand to brush it from his forehead.

“Brunette with brown eyes, not very original but you don't make it overly boring so that's a good point for you.”

“Says the blond with blue eyes.”

“Hey,” she replies, looking amused, “my eyes aren't blue, they're cerulean.”

“Yeah, whatever you say Blondie.”

She smirks and ruffles his hair.

“We can go out and eat pizza together now, or are you still keeping our friendship strictly professional?” she teases him.

“I hope you're glad that the rain destroyed all the effort I had put in my hair or you would have died when confronted with my gorgeousness.”

“Right, I totally believe you. So pizza, yes or no?”

“It's like one in the morning, I already ate dinner.”

“Ugh, you're boring Peter Parker!”

It makes him incredibly happy to hear her say his name and he refuses to let go of her hand when she tells him to just to see her fight against his superhuman force and pout.

 

 

***

 

 

The next day, Peter exits his last class of the day and finds everyone in the campus gathered around something – or more like someone – but he doesn't pay it any attention and by the time he finally gets a glimpse of blond hair, blue eyes and scarlet red grin, he's almost out of the campus and June is already waving and smiling at him.

“Hey Peter!” she calls him, leaning against the biggest black motorbike he's ever seen in his life, looking like the best damn thing in the world (which she is, as far as Peter is concerned) and he's suddenly aware of the fact that the whole campus has its eyes trailed to him and he can feel his ears reddening. He wants to say something but his heartbeat is deafening and he's probably choking on his own feelings.

She joins him and hugs him briefly before he can make a fool of himself by hyperventilating, leaving the smell of her overpriced perfume and leather jacket in Peter's nose. That's the best thing he's ever smelled in his whole life.

“What are you doing here?” he finds the courage to ask once she is a secure foot away from him.

“I came to pick you up” she smiles and okay, he's literally choking now. On his own stupid saliva!

“W-w-what?” he stammers.

“We're having pizza tonight and I figured we could spend the end of the afternoon together.”

He nods, too overwhelmed to do anything else and follows her to her bike, sitting behind her with his arms wrapped around her tiny waist.

Peter is not sure if he is happy or just scared of the speed she drives at. On the one hand, it's dangerous, but on the other hand it's the best excuse to wrap his arms firmly around her and would explain his heart beating wildly against her back.

In the end it doesn't matter because she turns to him, smile bright and a little disheveled, and his brain stops working properly because _damn, she is gorgeous_.

 

 

***

 

 

“So, you probably already know that Sue and Reed are getting married next week, right?”

“Yes. Probably the whole world knows.”

“You're right and... Could you please look at me when when I talk to you?”

Peter sighs, drops his pen on his desk and turns to June who is laying on his bed, her smartphone in the hand and a pout on the face.

“What?”

“I kindly visit you so your social life doesn't completely die, and you thank me by doing your homework? _Really_ Peter?”

“Maybe if you had called you would have known that I have an exam in two days and I need to study.”

“Right,” she scoffs “you need to study.”

“That's true.”

“Please, we all know you're a genius and you're gonna be fine. And I need to ask you something important so let those maths alone one second and listen to me.”

He blushes a little at the compliment and wants to tell her that he's not doing “maths” but her pout is gone, replaced by a frown that announces something serious.

“What is it?” he asks her, pushing with his feet for his chair to roll to the bed.

June sits up and starts to pout again despite the frown once Peter is in front of her.

“It's just... I know I'm like the only superhero to know about your super secret identity but would you like to go to the wedding with me? A ton of guys asked me but I feel like going with someone I genuinely like, not just some booty call.” she punctuates the sentence with puppy eyes and another pout, more pronounced than the usual one, and Peter feels his insides turn to jelly.

“Yeah, of course.” he hears himself say and the smile and brief hug he receives comfort him into thinking that it is a good idea.

 

 

***

 

 

It is a terrible idea. Possibly the worst idea ever.

June had appeared at his front door this morning, grinning and babbling all the way to a very expensive hotel where even the fake plants probably cost more than everything Peter ever owned in his life, and had given him a tuxedo, a pass for a room, and told him where to go once he had changed.

He is now standing alone in a fake garden on the hotel's roof, surrounded by famous, rich and intelligent people who seem to all know each other. And June is nowhere to be seen.

“You must be June's date” says a voice behind him and when he turns around, Peter doesn't know if he chokes because it is _The Reed Richards_ talking to him or because of the use of the word date. “Peter right ? She talks a lot about you.”

They shake hand and the teenager tries to say something, stammers for a few seconds, and is saved by a grinning blond coming from his left who wraps an arm around his shoulders and smiles at Reed Richards.

“Hey Reed, saw you already talked to Peter. He's a total nerd and fanboy of yours, so don't mind if he starts to drool.”

Reed Richards laughs and Peter elbows June, face red.

“Well, I'm glad to hear that.” the older man says as someone holding the biggest bouquet of roses Peter has ever seen in his life calls him. “Guess we'll talk later?” he smiles and leaves as quickly as he arrived.

Peter watches him go and sighs.

“So, how is it to finally meet your idol?”

“He's not my idol. My idol is Captain America.”

“Ooooh, even better. I'm pretty sure I can get my hand on Cap's phone number for you if you wanna.”

“What? Really?” immediately asks Peter, eyes going wide.

“Yes, why not?” June shrugs. “Now let's go sit, it's gonna start.”

It's only when he starts to follow her that Peter finally realizes she is wearing a beige fitting dress with high heels and looks... well even more gorgeous than normally.

“You're stunning.” he breathes without meaning to.

“Thanks.” she says, smiling over her shoulder and sending him a quick glance under her eyelashes.

His heart misses a beat but he is too subjugated by her to care.

 

 

***

 

 

Peter is tipsy but June is pulling him by his tie through the hotel's hallway, giggling, so he pretends that he is alright.

“You know that room you went into this morning to put the tux on? It was booked for the whole night cause Sue was afraid I was gonna drive drunk – like that would happen, I'd rather fly, thank you very much – and I know for a fact that they have a lot more than wine and champagne in the rooms' minibar. So, we are gonna get drunk like hell, okay?”

“I don't think that's such a good idea.” replies Peter before stumbling.

June turns to face him, walking backwards and holding his beige tie with both hands – hey, it's the same color as her dress! They are matching! – laughing.

“Oh my god, are you already drunk?”

“No, I'm tipsy.”

“Yeah right, what's the letter after F?”

“It's J... wait no, that's not right. Let me sing the alphabet song first.”

The young woman bursts into laughter when he starts to sing off-key and she stumbles too, not falling on her bottom only thanks to Peter's spider reflexes who grips her by the hips, still singing.

“F, G! It's G after F!”

“Yeah,” she laughs “but you cheated, and you're drunk no matter what you say.”

“No.” pouts Peter as she stops in front of a door.

She takes a pass out of her dress and Peter tries hard not to stare because _it was between her boobs damn it_ , and she smirks at him, opening the door.

“Seriously tho, I can believe you're drunk when we only had like, a glass of wine and two of champagne. Nobody can be drunk with champagne!” June says,

“I don't know, it was my first time drinking for real.” he replies, only realizing he still has his hands on her hips when she steps backwards into the room, his tie still in hands.

“Damn, really? What are you, twelve? Dude you're a college student, you're supposed to spend all your time being drunk, smoking pot and having sex with several persons at the same time.”

Peter wrinkle his nose and follows her into the room, shutting the door close with his foot.

“Gwen would kill me.”

“Gwen? Is that your girlfriend's name?”

“Yeah,” he smiles, “it's been a year already that I'm with her.”

“Waoh, congrats man, I never got past the first month except that one time but he was Italian so...” she shrugs, like that explained something.

She stops walking, her knees touching the edge of the king-sized bed, and lets herself fall backwards to lay on it. Without thinking, Peter lets her go but instantly follows her, laying on his side at her left, leaning on his elbow to look at her.

“That means you started dating her back in high school?” June asks, taking hold of his tie again to toy with it.

“Yeah, I had a crush on her since for ever before she finally noticed me.”

“That's cute” smiles June, eyes shining under the dim light coming from the window, and Peter suddenly has the urge to bend down and kiss her. “What does she look like?”

“She is blond,” he says, hand coming up to brush away a strand of hair that got out of June's complicated bun and fell on her cheek, “she has green eyes. She's gorgeous and very smart.”

“You don't deserve any less.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I mean look at you. And you're a good person.”

“I'm not. Her father was... I...”

He has to swallow the lump in his throat and close his eyes in order not to cry. He feels June moving next to him but only opens his eyes again when she brushes a lone tear from his lashes.

“Peter? Are you okay?” she asks, now sitting next to him and looking concerned.

“Yeah.” he replies, his voice rougher than seconds before. “Sorry it's just... things happened. Bad things.”

“I understand. You can tell me if you want, it's okay I won't judge you.”

He shakes his head and she only smiles gently down at him.

“Okay. Do you wanna do something or sleep?”

“Drink?”

“Sold.”

They spend the rest of the night on the bed, drinking expensive whiskey that they both hate, telling silly stories about June's travel in space and Peter's failed career as an actor during middle school.

 

 

***

 

 

The next day, Peter is hungover and he greatly appreciates June's moral support while he pukes everything he ate at the wedding's reception.

“I still can't believe you were an alcohol virgin until yesterday.” she tells him once he's washed his teeth, looking like the goddess she is, not a hair out of place.

“Why do you look so damn perfect in the morning?” he asks her without thinking, squinting. It's only when she smiles that he realizes what he just said and blushes.

“What can I say, I was born like that.”

His phone rings before he can reply and his smile disappears as soon as he sees Gwen's name on the screen.

“I'll be right back.” he mumbles before going to the balcony and closing the door behind him, feeling guilty for a reason he can't pinpoint. “Yeah? Gwen, hello?”

“Peter, why are there blurry pictures of you and the Fantastic Four all over the news this morning?”

He curses and looks back to make sure June is not listening to him – why, he can't even understand himself – before facing the railing and New York spread at his feet.

“I kinda got invited to Reed Richards and Sue Storm's wedding.”

“What?! And you didn't tell me?! Peter, I could have been your date!” she moans.

“Well I...” he clears his throat, scared of her reaction, and continues “I kinda got invited because I was June Storm's date.”

There is silence on the other side of the phone for half a minute before Gwen finally says something.

“Oh.”

It is the worst reaction ever and Peter starts to panic.

“No but you know it's because she knows about my identity and Spiderman is friend with the four of them so you know, I went as a friend because the others couldn't invite me and going with June was the only way I could go you know and–”

“It's okay Peter,” she cuts him “I'm not jealous or anything, I just wish you had told me. But anyway, did you have fun?”

Strangely, the fact that she tells him that it is okay makes Peter feel even worse and he wants to tell her right on the spot that he is head over heels in love with June.

“Yeah, it was really fun.” he says instead, biting his lips to distract himself from his sinking heart.

“Great! I hope you took a lot of pictures!”

“Hm-hm.”

How can he tell her that he has at least a hundred pictures of June and him on a bed, drunk and laughing into each other neck and shoulders?

 

 

***

 

 

“I think your are schizophrenic.”

“I think you're a nympho.”

“Waoh thanks, I was just being a concerned friend here, why do you have to insult my sex life like that?”

“You had sex with four different men this week, and thank god it's already Saturday.”

June rolls her eyes at him, a smirk on the corner of the lips.

“Whatever” she tells him. “You're still a schizophrenic.”

“Why is that?”

“You have two very distinct personalities that live in the same body. On one hand there is Peter Parker, skinny nerd who likes to stay home and resolve equations in front of bad scifi series. On the other hand there is Spiderman, superhero who saves New York and is very witty and sarcastic. I love Spiderman by the way.”

“You can stop eating Peter's popcorn and leave his room then.”

She throws a popcorn at his face and sticks her tongue out at him.

“What I want you to understand,” she continues “is that you need to take a chill pill. You look like there's a stick up your ass and if your girlfriend doesn't let you get laid, I know some girls who are all over the nerd-thing.”

“I do get laid!” he exclaims, cheeks flaming and voice a little too high-pitched to seem natural.

June raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything, swallowing a handful of popcorn instead.

“If that's true–”

“It is!” he cuts her, feeling his blush going down his neck.

“Yeah, if you say so. So, as I was saying, if that's true, there really is something wrong with you. And since I'm the bestest friend you could ever wished for, I know exactly what you need.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, you need to kill zombies with me.”

“What ?”

“Don't what me. And since you're the worst nerd ever, you don't even have an Xbox here so you're coming to the Baxter Building!”

Peter doesn't react. He just stares at her until she sighs and explains.

“Okay I know I could have just taken the Xbox here but the thing is that the others know who you are and want to have dinner with you. I know you're super serious about the whole secret identity thing and I _swear_ I didn't tell them, they guessed it because you were with me at the wedding. And they like you. So they want to meet you for real. I'm sorry, please don't hate me.”

“I can't hate you.” he automatically replies. “And it's fine, I mean it was bound to happen, right?”

Her smile takes Peter's breath away and for a second he really considers kissing her on the spot.

 

 

***

 

 

Dinner at the Baxter Building becomes a weekly occurrence, delighting Peter who still can't believe that he can now talk science with _The Reed Richards_. With that, he not only becomes fast friend with Reed, Sue, Ben and Alicia when he finally meets her too, but he also grows even closer to June whom he is literally addicted to.

During the month following his first real meeting with the Fantastic Four, his life goes by so peacefully, he does not expect what comes next.

June is on a mission in Hanoi with the other three when he calls her, sobbing, and it takes her exactly thirty eight minutes to fly back to New York.

 “Peter!” she cries out, entering his room by the open window and flaming out before joining his bed where he is curls up into a ball, tears still rolling down his face. “Peter are you okay ? What happened?”

She sounds on the verge of panic and lays down on the bed, spooning him from behind.

“It's Gwen” he manages to say before a sob stops him.

Turning around to face June, his back now pressed against the wall, Peter wraps both his arms around her and buries his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. He closes his eyes when she starts to caress his hair and cradles him closer.

“She left.” he finally murmurs after few minutes in this position. “She left me and the country. She left for England.”

“Oh Peter,” sighs June, voice soft.

His heart leaps at the sound of her voice and he feels guilty because this is exactly why Gwen broke up with him and decided to put an ocean between them – because he's a bastard in love with a goddess.

“I'm so sorry” she murmurs into his ear and it both makes him shiver and cry harder.

 

 

***

 

 

“Peter...”

Ignoring his aunt's voice, he draws his blanket closer, eyes closed.

“Come on Peter, get out of bed please. Someone is here to see you.”

“Tell Someone that I'm busy sleeping!” he mumbles loud enough for his aunt to hear him.

“I'm gonna set your door on fire if you don't stop being a baby Peter!” replies June's voice, making his heart skip a beat.

He hasn't seen her since that night Gwen broke up with him and got into a plane and if he is honest with himself, he is not sure he's ready to see her again.

“Peter I'm not joking, I'm gonna melt your lock.”

“Go away!”

For the next five minutes he doesn't hear anything until there a _cling_ sound and a body falls on him, yanking his blanket down.

“So,” says June, face only centimeters away from his, blue eyes as entrancing as ever and her smile blinding, “I have great news for you my dear.”

“Go away.” he grumbles.

That only makes her smile more fondly.

“Come on, I know you didn't have your morning starbucks but we'll get you it in a moment, first I really need to announce you something great.”

“I don't drink starbucks.”

“Yes you do. You're a hipster, that's written in the hipster guidelines.”

“I'm not a hipster!”

“Oh really skinny dude who wears plaid shirts, big glasses and goes to school with his skate?” she asks, raising an eyebrow and okay, that brings a smile on Peter's face even if he tries to keep an annoyed face. “You even do photography. The only question now is whether you prefer Lana Del Rey or Marina and The Diamonds.”

“Neither.”

“Oh, so you like The XX? Great, Alicia owes me twenty bucks now!”

He glowers at her but she only smiles.

“So you bet on my music taste now?”

“That's what friends are for. I make money betting on something about you and when I win I buy you starbucks with said money. It's a win-win situation for both of us so can we please go back to what I was saying : I have _great_ news Peter!”

“What?” he sighs.

“You're moving out of here and becoming my roommate!”

Between June's big smile and his wild imagination imagining _living under the same roof as her_ , Peter's brain short-circuits for a few seconds before he finally blinks and comes back to himself.

“ _What_?”

“Yeah, I know, it's exciting right?”

“No... I mean yes it is but... but I can't. I don't have money and I can't let Aunt May alone and–”

“Peter.” she stops him, tone stern but her smile bigger than ever. “I already talked to her while you were sulking like a baby and she's _delighted_. You know how crazy life can be at the Baxter Building so I decided to look for my own place and I found the perfect apartment. The thing is that it has three rooms and I'm used to live with people so I thought 'hey, why not move in with Peter!'. And it's near your campus, I checked, there's even a starbucks like, in the same street, and some art supplies shop, you know, the kind you like, really small and badly lighted.”

“I don't have money.”

“I thought about that too, and you only need to pay for the food, okay? I mostly eat take-out and cereals so it shouldn't ruin you too much. Just buy apples and potatoes, that should do it.”

“But–”

“It's gonna be fun!”

“Yeah but–”

“And people would kill to live with me, come on. Being June Storm's roommate, who can say no to that?”

“Okay that's a pretty good argument,” he admits, rolling his eyes in a vain attempt to hide his smile.

“Great. Perfect even! We're moving tomorrow by the way so you better get up and start packing.”

“ _What?!_ June one day is too little time!”

“Why do you think I'm here for? I'm gonna help you. Just get up, go take a shower so we'll get you a latte and then we'll start.”

“You're literally laying on me, I can't get up.”

“I know.” she smiles. “But I'm so excited, we're gonna be the craziest roommates ever and it's gonna be awesome!!”

She squirms on top of him and Peter has to remind himself that he has his morning-breath and therefor can't kiss her right here right there.

That is – of course – the moment she chooses to stroke his hair, elbows on both sides of his head. He tentatively wraps him arms around her because he loves living a dangerous life so why wouldn't he do that?

“How are you handling things?” June asks in a whisper.

“Like you said I sulk like a baby in my bed.” he replies, shrugging. “She doesn't answer my call and it's already been a month so...”

“Yeah... by the way I wanted to give you space but avoiding me for a month was a real dick move Pete.”

“I know, I'm sorry.”

“It's okay, I'm the bestest friend so I forgive you.”

That makes him laugh because June is ridiculously perfect and she's the only person Peter knows who could say something like this while laying on top of him and looking innocent and when she laughs too, fingers still in his hair and eyes in his, his heart skips a beat but for the first time it does not seem to be such a bad thing.


End file.
